


Horse Sense

by methylviolet10b



Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Cabbies, Gen, Prompt Fic, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-31
Updated: 2013-07-31
Packaged: 2017-12-21 22:59:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/905965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/methylviolet10b/pseuds/methylviolet10b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So you want to be a cabbie? I've a few words of advice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Horse Sense

**Author's Note:**

> Written for JWP #30: **Mirror, Mirror:** Write a story from a minor character's point of view, where he or she sees something similar between him/herself and Sherlock Holmes.
> 
>   
>  **Warnings** : Absolutely no historical research whatsoever. **And absolutely no beta.** This was written in a complete rush. You have been warned.  
> 

  
  
  
  
  
  
It takes a good deal of common sense to make a livin' as a cab-driver in London, no two ways about it. You must be a good driver, of course; no one ham-handed or careless will go long without winding up in a jam, a wreck, or worse. And you must know your horses inside and out, how they think, what they'll tolerate, what they won't stand for, how to get the most out of them – and all that can change from hour to hour, much less day to day. A good reliable horse is a cab-man's best friend. The same is true of your cab itself; you must know it, check it, know how to fix the little things that will go wrong with it before they turn into costly repairs. And things will go wrong, my lad, and usually when you least want them to.  
  
But it isn't just enough to know how to manage your rig. You also must know how to pick your spots, how to find a good territory and keep it, which cab-stands are best worth your while, and most of all how to tell a good fare from a bad. Which isn't the same as an ordinary one, mind. Most fares are much the same when it comes to it. Whether they're going three streets over or halfway across town, most hardly see you at all, and don't much care about anything except getting to where they tell you they want to go as quick as you can get them there without jostlin' them overmuch. Do that, and they'll pay you your fare, and that's the end of it. They pass in and out of your life like fog.  
  
The bad ones will find fault with everything: the seats, the glass, the trim on the box; your driving, your horse, even your face, some of 'em. They'll argue every half-penny and try to do you out of your fair portion every time, and abuse you to your face besides. You can't tell them by their dress or their station; I've had bad ones as was toffs and bad ones as was tradesmen, and some of the worst have been women you'd think wouldn't have said boo to a goose! The worst I ever had was a – well, it doesn't pay to say, not if you want to keep custom, but let's just say I'd expected better from a man whose business is supposed to be morals. But that's another tale. You learn to pick the bad out by their faces: from the way they look at you and your horse and your cab, but never will meet your eyes; from the pinched lines around their mouths and their brows; and from experience with your route most of all. Learn to recognize the bad ones, boy. Avoid them at the stands if you can, and never see their hails, for they're not worth the trouble, not unless you're truly desperate. And sometimes not even then.  
  
Then there's the good ones. Like the bad ones, you can't tell them by their clothes or their lot in life. They can be fussy, too, but more often it's choosy rather than finding fault for the sake of it. Give them a good ride and they'll not only pay you without complaint, they'll remember you and look for you the next time. Some will even ask for you special, and havin' a regular clientele makes all the difference when it comes to payin' the bills. Some won't be so regular, might even be unpredictable. Might even be trouble on occasion. But the good ones will always pay for any extra bother they cause, and just knowin' they know they're extra work can make a working man feel better about bein' accommodating, if you understand me.  
  
No? Well, then, take Mr. Holmes and Doctor Watson of Baker Street. Some would tell you that Doctor Watson is a good fare, but Mr. Holmes is one to avoid unless he's got the doctor with him. I know five cabmen that won't take him up under any circumstances, and only three of them are ne'er-do-wells that you'd do better not to emulate. The other two is sensible enough except for this one thing. Because them that says it is only half-right. They're both good fares, if you've the sense to see it.  
  
The doctor is easy enough when on his own; polite as a general rule, and clear in his directions. Do right by him and he'll give you a smile as he pays, and has done since the days when he had few extra coins to spare and little enough to smile about, back when he was a half-crippled veteran fresh from the wars. The doctor will ask you to hurry at times, when he's got a patient or some other urgent business, but he'll not ask for speed without need. He's no fool, and he'll take no liberties nor lip from any, and he'll not turn a blind eye if there's wrong being done. Most will, but he won't. He'll do his best not to get any blood or such on your seats, neither. A good man, he is, one that will remember you and your missus and your children, and that with all the rest makes him a good fare. He's much the same when he's with his friend, and usually handles most of the business of payment when they're together, so that's all right.  
  
Mr. Holmes is six times the trouble that the doctor is, or any other regular fare for that matter. He can shout down the street when he's a mind to, for one thing, and his whistle can be heard for blocks. There's no use in pretending you haven't seen or heard him, either; somehow he'll catch your eye regardless, and then you just have to pick him up. He's liable to want a cab at all hours, for another, although the doctor isn't much better in that way. Mr. Holmes, though, he's got eyes like a hawk, and no patience for anyone less sharp than he is, and he brings trouble on his heels more often than I care to recall. He's always in a hurry, and some of the things he'll ask you to do – follow another cab, for instance, or make it to Victoria Station in half the usual time and on a crowded Saturday no less – well, there's no one else like him, that's certain. And sometimes you don't even know that he's your fare until he's already inside and you're on your way! Glance back, and you'll see Mr. Holmes sitting in your cab as calm as you please, when you _know_ you picked up a dockhand, or an old scholar, or someone completely different! And he'll just meet your eyes with a sly little smile as if you'd been in on the joke all along. Gives you a turn the first time it happens and no mistake, and to be truthful, I'll never get used to it.  
  
He gives good coin for all the trouble, I'll give him that. But that alone wouldn't be enough to make him a good fare, what with all the bother he can be. What tips the balance, at least for me, and for you too if you've any wits, is that he's got horse sense. He notices 'em like he notices everything else, and he _knows_ them just like I do or any other man who makes his livin' by 'em. He'll tell you straight off if there's anything going amiss with a nag, and I swear he knows it before the horse himself does, sometimes. A fare spotting a loose shoe is a rare thing, much less one that mentions where a bit of harness has settled or shifted wrong and will cause a sore by the end of the day. A fare that can soothe a restive or fractious horse with a touch or a quiet word, and who can give you reliable tips on where to get a good deal on oats, or whose fodder to avoid? _That_ is payment worth having and a rare good fare, no matter all the rest, and never mind what any of the other cabmen say.  
  
Oh, and if Mr. Holmes ever warns you against taking up a particular customer, no matter how innocent or harmless they look – well, you just listen to him, that's all. Believe me, I know.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted July 30, 2013


End file.
